The Zanzibar Collection

Mythic experience from a hidden gem

- Nailantei Kenga

My friend from the United Kingdom wanted to experience Zanzibar and since I had never been to the spice island, I thought this might be a great opportunity to explore and discover its hidden treasures.

We flew from Nairobi and were picked by a taxi from the airport. On our way to the resort, all we could see were palm trees, thatched mud houses, children playing by the road side and quite a number of unfinished concrete buildings. I couldn’t help but notice the population in Zanzibar is largely Muslim if Hijab is anything to go by. We had settled on the Zanzibar Collection, a privately owned collection of beautiful luxury hotels and resorts that are inspired by Zanzibar’s magic.

Our first stop was the Breezes Beach Club and Spa, situated along the BwejuuPaje beach, which was voted among the top 30 island beaches in the world by Conde Nast Traveller. I was blown away by the vista. Surrounding the resort were bougainvillea flowers in full bloom and palm trees. There was a freeform pool on the grounds and when we went into the resort, the reception area featured magnificent oriental chandeliers and thatched ceilings. Exquisite hand-carved Swahili sofa beds with sheer curtains and oriental pots, graced the corridors.

Mr. Chai, the charming general manager didn’t need to convince us to have lunch at the beach with its pristine sandy beaches overlooking mesmerising turquoise waters. My friend had chips and a cheeseburger and I ordered chicken tikka with naan. Hours later, we checked into our rooms that were furnished with hand-carved beds, walk-in dressing rooms and en-suite bathrooms. An array of Zanzibar grown spices were artistically displayed on a table that had pockets filled with spices.